This year’s vote for the “ Golden Balance ” has resulted in first prize for A. Lange & Söhne: In the top category “watches priced over 25,000 euros” the winner was the Tourbograph Perpetual “Pour le Mérite”, launched at SIHH 2017.
Tourbograph Perpetual © A. Lange & Söhne
The fifth masterpiece in A. Lange & Söhne’s “Pour le Mérite ” series combines the fusée-and-chain transmission with a tourbillon, a chronograph, a rattrapante function and a perpetual calendar. The award was received by Andreas Haude, Lange’s General Manager Northern Europe, on 15 February 2018 in Munich.
Since 1998, readers of the German watch journal “ Uhren Magazin ” and registered users of Focus online have voted for “the best watches in the world”. In a two-stage process the participants of one of the biggest readers’ polls in the watch world have to choose among several hundred mechanical models. Timepieces by A. Lange & Söhne, like the Lange 1, Double Split, Zeitwerk and Saxonia Annual Calendar have regularly been voted among the first-place winners.
It’s no secret that A. Lange & Söhne creates a good watch. Heck, you may even go so far as to say they create a magnificent watch, and I do not think anyone could argue with you. But a byproduct of being one of the greatest echelons of watchmakers is that the focus tends to get put exclusively on their most unique pieces. But this year, my private Lange highlight isn’t the grandest complication — it is the 1815 Annual Calendar. I recorded it as my favorite grail watch in the time, but knew I had to spend more time with it. Now, after spending a complete week together with the watch ardently on my wrist, I can say without question my instincts were right: this is one amazing watch. But, it’s not without its flaws, and there is even just a small bit of controversy about the 1815 Annual Calendar one of Lange purists. “When was the first annual calendar released” This was, at one stage, something of mild-mannered hazing from Ben to newcomer watch fans. Our intern’s response? “I’d guess mid 1800s sometime? “An yearly calendar is a different thing than the usual triple or “easy” calendar. Additionally, it is different from a perpetual calendar. Learn the differences today so you don’t inspire another HODINKEE narrative similar to this one.
